Illuminating the Divine: The Magic Lantern and Religious Pedagogy in the USA, ca. 1870–1920

Abstract

One of the most ubiquitous forms of religious education in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries was the magic lantern presentation. These shows were used by diverse religious communities throughout the USA and Europe, and on countless missionary campaigns around the world. Scholars have, by-and-large, mobilized the magic lantern and particularly its production of reality effects within the context of the visual culture of spectacle and the advent of cinema. This article argues that the religious magic lantern presentation forces a reconsideration of the medium’s place within modern visual culture and religious experience. Presentation strategies, including directly addressing the audience, participatory mechanisms, and manipulation of the presentation format and narrative, stimulated active contemplation and evangelizing zeal, and contributed to the magic lantern’s position as the pedagogical tool par excellence for modern religious communities well into the twentieth century.

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